Extractor mechanism for breakdown firearms



Feb. 15,1938. as. LEWIS EXTRACTOR MECHANISM FOR BREAKDOWN FIREARMS '7',1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb.

Feb. 15, 1938. s, LEw|s EXTRACIOR MECHANISM FOR BREAKDOWN FIREARMS 7.1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb.

Patented Feb. 15, 1938 UNITE STATES FFEQE T alt EXTRACTOR MECHANISM FORBREAK- DOWN FIREARMS Application February '7, 1935, Serial No. 5,417

6 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in extractor mechanism forbreakdown firearms, that is to say, cartridge-extractor mechanism forthat class of firearms in which a barrel-unit and a butt-unit are hingedtogether for relative pivotal movement.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a superiorextractor mechanism for firearms of the class referred to andcharacterized by reliability and effectiveness.

A further object is to provide a superior extractor mechanism forbreakdown firearms which will positively lcosen and retracttight-fitting cartridges from the cartridge-chamber of the extractor.

Another object is to provide a breakdown firearm with superior extractormeans which will normally also discharge the function of an ejector.

A still further object is to produce, at a low cost for manufacture, asuperior extractor mechanism for firearms of the class referred to whichis both spring-actuated and positively actuated.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear to thoseskilled in the art from the following, considered in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings and appended claims, the present inventionincludes. all features disclosed therein which are novel over the priorart.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a broken View in side elevation of a breakdown shotgunembodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a broken view thereof partly in side elevation and partly invertical longitudinal section;

Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2 but showing the barrel-unitswung partway downwardly toward its full breakdown position withreference to the butt-unit;

Fig. 4 is a similar view, but showing the barrelunit moved into its.full breakdown position;

Fig. 5 is a corresponding view showing the action of the extractormechanism in positively retracting a tight-fitting cartridge;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line ii-ii of Fig. 2;

Fig. '7 is a broken view in side elevation of the rear portion of thebarrel;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the extractorplunger; and

Fig. 9 is a similar View of the extractor-latch.

The particular breakdown firearm herein chosen for illustrationincludes. two major units pivoted for swinging movement with respect toeach other in the general manner of breakdown shotguns. The rear unit ofthe firearm may, for convenience of description, be designated as thebutt-unit and comprises in the main a frame 26 and a buttstock 2|. Thecomplementary front unit of the firearm, designated for convenience 5 ofdescription as the barrel-unit, comprises in the main a barrel 22 and aforestock 23 secured to the under side of the said barrel.

The frame 26 is formed with an upwardly-opening recess or pocket 2treceiving a barrel- 1o coupling lug forming a rigid feature of anddepending from the under side of the barrel 22 adjacent the rear end ofthe latter. The forward edge of the said lug 25 is formed with atransverse forwardly-opening notch 25 (Fig. 7) re- 1.) ceiving afulcrum-pin 27 extending transversely through the forward end of theframe 20 and forming a fixed feature thereof. The forward end of theframe it is shaped to form a cylindrically-contoured bearing-surface 28having its 30 central axis coinciding with the central axis of thefulcrum-pin before referred to.

Conforming in curvature to and normally engaging with thebearing-surface 28 of the frame 28 is a forestock-shoe, generallydesignated bythe numeral 2% and forming a fixed feature of the forestock23, before referred to. The barrelcoupling lug 25 is bifurcated in anysuitable manner to provide a downwardly-opening slot or recess 35.extending longitudinally completely thereso through from one end to theother thereof.

At the rear end of its bore 3|, the barrel 22 is formed with a coaxialcartridge-chamber 32 connected by a notch-like vertical passage 33 withthe recess 38 and terminating at its. rear end in an annularcartridge-rim seat 34. Normally positioned in the passage 33, betweenthe cartridgechamber 32 and the recess 3!], is an extractor-arm 35upstanding from the rear end of a plate-like extractor 36 mounted forreciprocation in the upper portion of the said recess 36 of thebarrelcoupling lug 25. The extractor 35, just referred to, is formedwith a forwardly-facing spring-seat 37, a rearwardly-facinglatch-shoulder 38 and a rearwardly-facing stop-shoulder 3.9. The upper4,; rear corner of the extractor-arm 35 of the extractor 36 is notchedas at if) toconform the said arm to the shape of the barrel adjacent thecartridgerim seat 34 and resulting in the formation of an upstandingextractor-finger 1!.

Also located in the recess 35 of the barrel-coupling lug 25 is aplate-like latch 42 mounted for pivotal movement upon a in 43 extendingtransversely through the side walls of the said lug. The forward edge'ofthe latch 42, just referred to, is=" formed with a notch 44 receivingthe rear portion of the fulcrum-pin 21 when the latch is in its normalposition, and resulting in the provi sion of a forwardly-extendingactuating-finger engageable on occasion with a slopingactuating-abutment 66 forming part of the forward wall of the pocket Edin the frame 20.

The latch 52 above described in part is also formed with anupwardly-projecting latch-nose 41, with a rearwardly-facing slopingthrust-surface or shoulder 48 merging in its upper end into arearwardly-facing spring-seat 13. Positioned in the upper portion of therecess 30 is a helical actuating-spring 5G bearing at its rear endagainst the spring-seat 3? of the extractor 36, and at its forward endagainst the spring-seat 49 of the latch 42 and exerting a constanteffort to slide the said extractor 36 rearwardly and to swing the latch42 in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in the drawings.

The lower rear portion of the recess 38 of the lug 25 is closed by aguide-plate 5!, which is secured in place by pins 5252 extendingtransversely through both the said guide-plate 5i and the said lug 25.The guide-plate 5!, in addition to serving as a bottom-bearing for theextractor 36, also serves to limit the rearward movement thereof bybeing formed with a forwardly-facing stop-shoulder 53 engageable onoccasion by the stop-shoulder 39 of the said extractor. After beingreleased in a manner as will hereinafter appear, the extractor 36 isretired forwarcfly against the urge of the actuating-spring 50, to alignits notch 40 with the cartridge-rim seat 36, by the engagement of thesloping rear edge 54 of the extractor with the upstanding face of theframe 20, which constitutes the standing-breech of the firearm.

The rear edge of the barrel-coupling lug 25, as well as a portion of theguide-plate 5i carried thereby, is cut away to form a notch 56 adaptedto receive the locking-nose 5? of a retractable barrel-locking member 58mounted in the frame 23 to the rear of the standing-breech 55 thereof.When the barrel-unit is in its closed position, as illustrated in Figs.1 and 2, the nose 5'! of the said barrel-locking member 58, by entryinto the notch 56, serves to releasably lock the two units in theposition shown, in readiness for firing the arm.

After the gun has been fired, the barrel-locking member 58 is retired inany approved manner, such, for instance, as by a swinging-lever 59, tothus permit the barrel-unit to be swung with re spect to the butt-unitaround the fulcrum-pin 2'; from the position in which it is shown inFigs. 1 and 2 toward its full breakdown position shown in Fig. 4. If thecartridge 6 in the cartridge-chamher 32 of the barrel 22 lies in thesaid chamber in a normal and relatively-readily-displaceable manner, theinitial downward swinging movement of the barrel-unit with respect tothe butt-unit will permit the actuating-spring 58 to move the extractor38 rearwardly and correspondingly move the cartridge Elli, as indicatedin Fig. 3 of the drawings. This movement of the extractor 3 3 and of thecartridge Gil as just described will continue under the urge of theactuating-spring 53 until the latch-shoulder 33 of the said extractor 36moves into engagement with the latch-nose ll of the latch 42 (Fig. 3).

At about the time that the extractor 36 has moved rearwardlysufficiently to engage its latchshoulder 38 with the nose ll of thelatch 42, as just above described, the forward face of theactuating-finger 45 of the said latch will engage with theactuating-abutment 46 of the frame 20, with the effect, as the movementof the barrel-unit continues, of swinging the said latch in a clockwisedirection relative to the barrel-unit and ultimately disengaging thesaid latch-nose 47 from the latch-shoulder 38. The describeddisengagement of the latch-nose will permit the extractor 35 to besnapped rearwardly by the actuatingspring 52%, with the eifect, undernormal conditions, of flipping the cartridge 6!] rearwardly over thestanding-breech 55 and completely out of the cartridge-chamber 32 of thebarrel 22. The rearward travel of the extractor as just described willbe checked or limited by the engagement of its stop-shoulder 39 with thestop-shoulder 53 of the guide-plate 5!.

The extractor thus, in addition to functioning as an extractor, alsoserves as an ejector by flipping the cartridges clear of the gun, asdescribed. It will be understood that by the time the latchnose 'l isdisengaged from the latch-shoulder 38, the rear end of the barrel-unitwill have swung upwardly to a degree suflicient to enable the cartridgeto be snapped rearwardly over the standing-breech 55 and withoutstriking the same.

The parts will now have assumed the positions in which they are shown inFig. 4, save that the cartridge is shown at the instant before itscomplete ejection.

When the barrel-unit is again swung so as to restore the two units tothe positions in which they are shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the rear edge 5of the extractor will engage with the standingbreech 55 and be retiredforwardly thereby against the urge of the actuating-spring 50.Similarly, the closing of the firearm will cause the actuating-finger 55of the latch 42 to move away from the actuating-abutment 16 of the frameand thus permit the actuating-spring to also swing the said latch in acounter-clockwise direction, as required to re-interpose its nose 3-7 inthe path of the latch-shoulder 38 of the said extractor, preparatory toanother firing and subsequent opening of the firearm.

In the event that the cartridge, such as 60, is so firmly held in thecartridge-chamber 32 of the barrel 22 as not to respond to the urge ofthe actuating-spring 50 when the gun is broken down I in the normalmanner, the engagement of the actuating-finger 45 of the latch 42 withthe actuating-abutment d6 of the frame will cause the thrust-surface orshoulder :38 of the said latch to engage the rear edge of the extractor36 and positively move the same rearwardly and effectively break thehold or grip of the cartridge 60 upon the wall of the cartridge-chamber32. Usually, once this grip has been broken in the manner described, theactuating-spring 5!] will possess sufficient power to then drive thesaid extractor rearwardly until the latch-shoulder 38 of the extractorengages with the latch-nose 4'! of the latch 52. In the continuedswinging movement of the barrel-unit and after the rear end of thelatter has been elevated sufiiciently to insure a clear rearward pathfor the cartridge be ing ejected, the latch-nose il will be disengagedfrom the latch-shoulder 33 of the ejector and permit theactuating-spring 59 to assert itself to snap the said extractorrearwardly until its stopshoulder 39 engages the stop-shoulder 53 of theguide-plate 5!, thus flipping the cartridge completely out of thecartridge-chamber 32 and clear of the firearm.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that in a simple and effectivemanner the extraction of a cartridge from the firearm is efiectedpositively in the event that the spring-means is not sulficiently strongfor the task. It will be further noted that by the ingenious arrangementof the parts, the actuating-spring 5|] is caused to discharge the doublefunction of moving both the extractor 35 and the latch 42.

The invention may be carried out in other specific ways than thoseherein set forth Without departing from the spirit and essentialcharacteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments are,therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and notrestrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalencyrange of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. In a breakdown firearm, the combination with a butt-unit and acomplementary barrelunit having a cartridge-chamber;transverselyextending pivot-means pivoting the said barrel unit to thesaid butt-unit; of a reciprocable cartridge-extractor for extractingcartridges from the cartridge-chamber of the said barrel-unit;spring-means urging the said reciprocable cartridge-extractor into itscartridge-extracting position; a pivotal latch having a thrust-shoulderextending upwardly in a position rearwardly of the said pivot-meansengageable with the said reciprocable extractor to positively move thesame and also having a detent rigid with respect to the saidthrust-shoulder and releasably engaged with the extractor to restrainthe movement of the same under the urge of the said springmeans; andmeans coacting with the said pivotal latch upon the breakdown of thefirearm and swinging the said pivotal latch in a direction to engage itsthrust-shoulder with the said extractor and to disengage its detenttherefrom.

2. In a breakdown firearm, the combination with a butt-unit; of acomplementary barrelunit having a cartridge-chamber and pivoted to thesaid butt-unit; a lug depending from the said barrel-unit and formedwith a downwardly-opening longitudinal slot having parallel side-wallsproviding anti-rotational guide-means; a reciprocatingcartridge-extractor of polygonal form in cross section mounted in theslot of the said depending-lug and held against rotation by the parallelside-walls thereof; spring-means also mounted in the slot of the saidlug and urging the said cartridge-extractor into itscartridge-extracting position; a latch housed Within the slot of thesaid lug and having a thrust-shoulder engageable with the saidcartridge-extractor to positively move the same and also having a detentreleasably engageable with the extractor; and means coacting with thesaid latch upon the breakdown of the firearm and moving the said latchin a direction to engage its thrust-shoulder with the saidcartridge-extractor and to disengage its detent therefrom.

3. In a breakdown firearm, the combination with a butt-unit; of acomplementary barrelunit having a cartridge-chamber and pivoted to thesaid butt-unit; a lug depending from the said barrel-unit and formedwith a downwardly-opening longitudinal slot having parallel side-wallsproviding anti-rotational guide-means; a platelike reciprocatingcartridge-extractor mounted in the longitudinal slot of the saiddepending lug and held against rotation by the parallel sidewallsthereof; a plate-like latch also mounted in the longitudinal slot of thesaid lug and having a thrust-surface engageable with the said platelikeextractor to positively move the same and also having a detentreleasably engageable with the extractor; a spring acting to urge thesaid extractor into its cartridge-extracting position and at the sametime acting to urge the detent of the said latch into position forengagement with the said extractor; and means coacting with the saidlatch upon the breakdown of the said firearm and moving the said latchin a direction to engage its thrust-surface with the said extractor andto disengage its detent therefrom.

4. In a breakdown firearm, the combination with a butt-unit; of acomplementary barrelunit having a cartridge-chamber and pivoted to thesaid butt-unit; a lug depending from the said barrel-unit and formedwith a downwardlyopening longitudinal slot; a reciprocablecartridgeextractor having a vertically-offsetting spring abutment andmounted in the slot of the said depending lug; a pivotal latch alsomounted in the slot of the said lug and having a spring-abutment and athrust-surface engageable with the said reciprocable extractor topositively move the same and also having a detent releasably engageablewith the reciprocable extractor; a spring also positioned in the saidslot and bearing at one end against the offsetting spring-abutment ofthe said reciprocable extractor and at its opposite end against thespring-abutment of the said latch; and means coacting with the saidpivotal latch upon the breakdown of the said firearm and moving the saidlatch in a direction to engage its thrust-surface with the saidreciprocable extractor and to disengage its detent therefrom.

5. In a breakdown firearm, the combination with a butt-unit and acomplementary barrelunit having a cartridge-chamber and pivoted to thesaid butt-unit; of a cartridge-extractor for extracting cartridges fromthe cartridge-chamber of the said barrel-unit; a unitary latch formed ofplate-metal and having a thrust-shoulder engageable with the saidextractor to positively move the same and also having a rigidupwardlyextending detent-lock releasably engageable with the extractor;and a spring acting to urge the said extractor intoits'cartridge-extracting position and at the same time acting to urgethe detent of the said latch into position for engagement with the saidextractor.

6. In a breakdown firearm, the combination with a butt-unit and acomplementary barrelunit having a cartridge-chamber and pivoted to thesaid butt-unit; of a lug depending from the said barrel-unit and formedwith a downwardlyopening longitudinal slot; a cartridge-extractor ofpolygonal form in cross section and movable in the longitudinal slot ofthe said depending lug and of such proportions as to be introducibleinto the said longitudinal slot through the open lower end thereof; anda guide-plate installed in the downwardly-opening longitudinal slot inthe said lug at a point below the said extractor.

GEORGE S. LEWIS.

